Using a Depression Symptom Checklist
Depression is a clinical disorder, with physical and emotional symptoms. Since it’s common for people to feel sadness, loss of energy or discouragement at times, it can be difficult to determine whether your feelings are normal, or whether they are symptoms of depression. You can tell between these two conditions by closely examining your symptoms. Learn how to use a checklist for depression to see if you’re suffering from symptoms of depression.
Depression Symptoms Checklist
Doctors often use a checklist to identify people who may be affected by depression. Some symptoms of depression include:
- Changes in appetite (reduced or increased) and/or weight gain
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless
- Reduced energy
- Reduced interest in or pleasure from previously enjoyed activities
- Restlessness or slowness
- Self-criticism or feeling as though you disappoint those around you
- Self-destructive or suicidal thoughts
- Trouble with sleep (sleeping too much or too little).
A diagnosis of depression will depend on how often you feel these symptoms, and how many of them you experience. Although some of these feelings are normal, when experienced as a group over long periods of time, they may be diagnostic of depression. After reviewing a depression symptoms checklist, if you feel that you’re depressed, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
Am I Experiencing Symptoms of Depression?
Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether you are experiencing strong feelings of sadness or symptoms of depression. Sadness is one component of depression; however, depression includes many more symptoms, both emotional and physical. You can identify these symptoms by accessing a checklist for depression. Depression significantly interferes with your ability to function in everyday life, and usually lasts several weeks or longer.
Who Should Use a Depression Symptom Checklist?
Certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of developing depression:
- Being female
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Emotional problems
- Family history of depression or other mental health problems
- Few social connections or relationships
- Poor self-esteem or a tendency toward self-criticism
- Serious or terminal illness
- Traumatic experiences in childhood or adulthood.
If you have one or more of these risk factors, your mood changes may be more likely to be symptoms of depression, rather than typical sadness. Certain groups of people may benefit from reviewing a depression symptoms checklist.
What If I Think I’m Depressed?
If you’ve experienced several of the symptoms on the depression symptom checklist for at least two weeks, especially suicidal thoughts, you should contact your healthcare professional for help. Although a checklist for depression is a helpful tool, you’ll want to consult a doctor or mental health professional to get an accurate diagnosis.
Resources
Koenig, H. (n.d.). What is the difference between depression and sadness? Retrieved May 6, 2010, from the ABC News website: abcnews.go.com/Health/DepressionOverview/story?id=4359974.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008). Depression self-assessment. Retrieved May 6, 2010, from the Mayo Clinic website: www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/MH00103_D.
Mental Health America Staff. (n.d.). Factsheet: Signs of depression checklist. Retrieved May 6, 2010, from the Mental Health America website: www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectid=c7df958c-1372-4d20-c812934719d013f0.